Apricot Albaricoques Torta y Reina Maxima

Apricot Albaricoques Torta y Reina Maxima



Shopping List:

200 gr butter, softened
200 gr caster sugar
200 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (backing)
4 large eggs, free range
1/2 - 1 teaspoon almond essence (if you want)
410 gr apricot halves (can) in juice, drained, 100 gr roughly chopped, remainder halved or
or: 200 gr dried, soaked and sieved and chopped apricots use half half for the two mixtures.

85 gr amaretti or cantucinni biscuits broken
25 gr flaked almonds


Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your 22cm loose - bottom cake tin.

Mix the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder into one of your large bowls until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, almond essence, if you want, and mix well to a smooth consistency.
Set aside a quarter of this mixture. Stir into the rest of the mixture the 100 gr chopped apricots and 25 gr of the biscuits. Spoon this into your prepared tin. Bake for about 25 minutes until nearly set into your preheated oven. In the meantime, stir the apricot halves, if using tinned ones, the remaining biscuits and the flaked almonds into the mixture that you set aside. Mix well.

Dot the cake mixture on top of the part baked cake and quickly return it back to your oven to bake for 20 minutes more or until your cake skewer comes out clean.

                                                           "Enjoy"

Triple Chocolate Biscuits with a hint of Cayenne

Triple Chocolate Biscuits with a hint of Cayenne



Crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside: Delicious!




Shopping List:

(yields about 40-45 biscuits)

225 gr butter, softened
100 gr caster sugar
175 gr dark muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, free range, beaten
pinch of salt

300 gr plain flour
50 gr cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder ( backing)
1 and a half teaspoons of Cayenne pepper (to taste)

100 gr of chilli or bitter chocolate, chopped roughly
100 gr white chocolate, chopped roughly
100 gr pure dark chocolate, chopped roughly


Mix the softened butter and the sugars together until well combined. Then gradually add the vanilla extract and the beaten eggs. In a seperate bowl you can combine the flour, cocoa, pinch of salt, baking powder and the cayenne pepper and add all this to the butter mixture until again well combined.
Fold in the 3 assorti roughly chopped chocolates.

Preheat your oven to 180C. and have your baking trays all lined and ready. Drop walnut size dollops on the prepared trays with a little bit of space inbetween so they don't melt together. Use a large teaspoon for this if you want.

Bake the biscuits in batches in your preheated oven. For about 10-15 minutes, or how gooey you want them to be. Allow the biscuits to cool for about 2 minutes on the tray before you take them of gently with your palette knife to transfer them onto your wire rack. Let them cool completely.

These biscuits are an excellent dessert if you serve them with some ice cream and/or with something strong to drink alongside with an espresso perhaps.


                                                                    "Enjoy"

Charming Chocolate-Coffeebeans Traybake

Charming Chocolate-Coffeebeans Traybake


Shopping List:

250 gr butter to melt in pan
300 gr golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, free range
200 gr self-raising flour
50 gr cocoa
100 gr milk chocolate drops (tröpfen)


For the topping:

85 gr butter to melt in pan
85 gr caster sugar
200 gr light condensed milk
50 gr chocolate drops or chopped up chocolate (milk) to melt
50 gr  little chocolate coffee beans to decorate


Grease or spray your traybake or roasting tin and line it. (about 20x30cm).
Preheat your oven to 180C. 
Gently melt the butter in one of your larger saucepans and cool this for 5 minutes before you add the sugar, vanilla and the eggs. Beat the mixture until well combined and smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa and a good 1/4 little teaspoon of salt. Then you can stir in the chocolate drops. (Not the chocolate coffee beans).
Pour into your prepared tin and level it out as best you can.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 35 minutes until risen and your cake skewer comes out not clean but slightly sticky. Let the cake cool completely in the tin and turn it out onto your wire rack ready to be having the toplayer put on.

For the topping we gently warm the butter and the sugar until both are well combined and melted. Stir in the condensed milk and bring it all to a boil. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 50 gr milk chocolate drops or ordinary chocolate to melt. Spread this mixture over the now cold cake, but have some paper towel underneathe your wire rack for drips and drops.
Scatter the traybake with the chocolate coffee beans and cut into squares the size you like. Or do it the other way around; cut in squares first then decorate with the chocolate beans.


                                                                  "Enjoy"



Did you know that you can make Dolce de Leche from condensed milk?

Pepper's Pear & Ginger Loaf

Pepper's Pear & Ginger Loaf





Shopping List:

200 gr butter, softened and unsalted
100 gr caster sugar
100 gr soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, free range, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 stemginger balls from the syrup, chopped
2 nice pears, roughly chopped ( i used Conference)

For the topping:

3 tablespoons syrup from the ginger jar
3 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin. Let the paper stick out in "Wings". Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Then gradually add the beaten eggs and the vanilla extract. Then fold the flour, baking powder (backing) and a pinch of salt into the mixture ( you will find the mixture very thick now and not very much in quantity) and then stir through the ginger and the pears.
Pour this mixture into your prepared loaf tin with the paper wings, and level it out. If you have problems getting your mixture in the tin because of the wings, put some clothes pegs on the paper. But make sure you take them off as soon as you put the tin in the oven.

Bake your cake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes into your preheated oven. If your cake is getting too dark put some alufoil over the cake the last 10 minutes. Check with your cake tester to see if it comes out clean,when done. Leave the cake in your tin to cool down.

To make the topping: Mix the syrup with 1 teaspoon of water and the granulated sugar. Poke the cake with your cake tester and pour the syrup all over the little holes you've made. You can serve it warm or cold. With all sorts of creams and ice creams. Use the "wings"of the paper to lift out your cake.


                                                                   "Enjoy"

Chummie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chummie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

They are simply delicious!

Shopping List:

150 gr softened salted butter
80 gr light brown soft sugar
80 gr granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, free range
225 gr plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
200 gr plain chocolate chips or chunks, which happens when you drop the bar of chocolate and bang it some more, with a rolling pin maybe.




Preheat your oven to 190C. Line your baking trays with baking paper.

Put the butter and the sugars into one of your bowls and beat it until light, fluffy and creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beat again. Sieve the flour, bicarb, and the salt over the mixture and mix it with your wooden spoon. Stir in the chocolate chip/chunks.

Place small mounds of the cookie dough on your trays, using a teaspoon. Have some space between them as they  flatten out. Bake your cookies in batches for 7-10 minutes until light brown on the bottom edges and still deliciously soft in the middle.

Leave them on your tray for 4-5 minutes so they can firm up and then get a palette knife to put them on your wire rack(s)



                                                         "Enjoy"

Sydney's Cinnamon Biscuits

Sydney's Cinnamon Biscuits




Shopping List:
225 gr butter, softened or maragrine
225 gr fine or soft sugar white or light brown
2 eggs, free range
400 gr self-raising flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
100 gr fine white sugar


Mix together the butter or margarine with the sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Gently mix this with the butter/marg mixture until well combined. Put the bowl in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to handle.
(Put it back in the fridge inbetween rolling the batches of balls if you can, especially in a warm kitchen.)

Preheat your oven to 200C. Line your baking trays.
In one of your smaller bowls mix the sugar and the cinnamon together. Set it aside.
Shape your dough into balls the size of a big walnut ( 2-2.5 cm). Then you roll them in your cinnamon sugar and place them about 3.5 cm apart from eachother on your prepared baking trays.

Bake the biscuits in your preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes making sure they don't get too dark.   Let them cool down for 2 minutes on the tray and then let them cool and harden completely on your wire rack(s).


                                                                   "Enjoy"

Cherry & Almond Bakewell Cake

Cherry & Almond Bakewell Cake

Shopping List:

200 gr butter, very soft
200 gr golden caster sugar
100 gr ground almonds
100 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs, free range
pinch of salt

For the topping and the filling:

1/2 of a 340 gr jar of cherry jam  (170 gr )
175 gr icing sugar
5-6 teaspoons water or lemon juice
1 tablespoon of flaked almonds


For this cake we are going to use the easy all-in-one method!

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line 2 x 20cm round tins.

Beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until welll combined. Divide over your two prepared tins and bake them in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.

Cool in your tins for about 5-6 minutes and then turn them out onto your wire rack. Cool the cakes completely.

Spread  the jam over one of the cakes and sandwich both of them together. Sieve the icing sugar in one of your large bowls. Add the water (or lemon juice) and stir until it is smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it course its own way down. Scatter the almond flakes over the topping and leave to set.   Excellent with a nice cup of tea!



                                                             "Enjoy"

Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Icing

Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Icing


Shopping List:

The zest and the juice of 1 Orange
50 gr sultanas

If you have the time for it, put the orange zest and juice in a bowl with the sultanas and leave them overnight. If not blitz them in the microwave for about 1 minute.

150 ml sunflower oil
2 eggs, free range
140 gr light brown sugar
85 gr wholemeal self-raising flour
85 gr self-raising flour
2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
140 gr carrots, grated
50 gr walnuts, chopped

For the topping:

200 gr soft cheese
50 gr butter, softened
85 gr icing sugar, sifted
a pinch of ground cinnamon
walnut halves to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin. Whisk the eggs together with the oil. In a seperate large bowl mix together the sugar, flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and the bicarbonate of soda. Add the sultanas and the juice, grated carrot, walnuts and the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon. Pour it into your prepared tin and bake it in your preheated oven for about 1 hour until your skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin to cool.

When your cake has cooled properly turn it out onto your wire rack take of the paper and prepare the icing. Beat together the soft cheese, butter, icing sugar and cinnamon until nice and smooth. Put some paper towel underneath your wire rack and decorate your cake by spreading the icing over it and put some walnut halves on top.



                                                             "Enjoy"

Bacon & Cheese Biscuits

Bacon & Cheese Biscuits

They are scrumptious!  Great Party Food! 

Shopping List:  40-45 bics!

260 gr plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (backing)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
250 ml milk
110 gr butter, melted
8-10 strips bacon, baked until crispy and crumbled or cut in pieces
100 gr shredded cheese (chedder is good but i used ordinary)
1 egg whisked for glazing


Preheat your oven to 200C. Prepare your oven trays with baking paper.
Put flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and onion powder into your large bowl. Stir and make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients and add the milk, butter, bacon and cheese. Mix this mixture with a wooden spoon. You will find that the dough is wet and sticky.

Use a large teaspoon to put dollops the size of a big walnut onto your prepared tray.
Brush them a little with the beaten egg for a glaze. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven until golden brown and your cake tester comes out clean.  Careful, they brown quickly at the end of baking time.

Great Party Food!

                     

                                                        "Enjoy"

Banana, Chocolate and Walnut bread

Banana, Chocolate and Walnut Bread


Shopping List:

3-4 ripe bananas
250 gr caster sugar
2 eggs, free range
140 gr butter softened
250 gr plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (backing)
100 gr walnut pieces
100 gr chocolate chips


Preheat your oven to 190C. Grease or spray and line your loaftin.
In your large bowl, mash together the peeled bananas and the sugar with a fork. Then you add the eggs and mix well. Add the soft butter and mix some more. Sieve in the flour with the baking powder and fold and mix it all together with your spatula. Add the walnut pieces and chocolate chips and give it all a good swirl before you put it into your prepared tin.

Bake it in your preheated oven for about 1 hour until your skewer comes out clean and all that.
leave to cool in the tin before you turn it out onto your wire rack to cool completely.
Serve into thick slices. With ice cream or cream or whipped cream.... mmmmmmm.


                                                           "Enjoy"

Maple, Nut & Papaya Mix Cookies

Maple, Nut & Papaya Mix Cookies

Nice and Chewey!


Shopping List:

140 gr rolled oats
50 gr dessicated coconut
225 gr plain flour
140 gr unsalted roughly chopped mixed nuts
100 gr papaya mix
140 gr butter
225 gr light soft brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

preheat your oven to 160C. Line your bakingtrays. In one of your medium bowls mix the oats, coconut, flour, nuts and papaya mix. Set this aside but not too far away.

In one of your smaller saucepans, melt the butter, sugar and bothe the syrups and remove from the heat. Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and add this to the sugar mix. Pour this mixture into your oat mixture and stir well until combined. Form neat balls ( I used an ice cream scoop) from the mixture and place them on your prepared trays. Make sure there is enough room for the cookies to spread, and flatten them just a little.

Bake them in your preheated oven for about 14-16 minutes. it depends really on how chewey you want them.
Leave them on your tray for about a minute or so and then put them on your wire rack to cool completely.

If you want you can freeze them for up to 3 months, or put them in an airtight container for about a week if you want.

You can chop and change with these cookies, any nut or fruit will do really.

                                                             "Enjoy"

Poppy & Sesame Oatcakes

Poppy & Sesame
    Oatcakes



Shopping List:

50 gr butter
100 gr medium oatmeal
100 gr plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Any kind of cheese to put on to or as is.


Preheat your oven to 200C. Melt the butter in your small saucepan and allow it to cool somewhat. Put all the dry ingredients into one of your bowls with half a teaspoon of salt. Pour in the butter. Then add 5 to 6 tablespoons boiling water and combine it to make a firm dough. Put your hands to work!

Put the dough onto your lightly floured work surface and roll out to about  half a centimeter thickness. Cut out into small squares if you have a cutter or else by hand. Bake for 12-15 minutes in your preheated oven until they are slightly golden. Cool and then transfer them to your wire rack to cool completely.

If you want you can freeze these biscuits up to 3 months. If not keep them in an airtight container until you want to eat them.

Excellent for a cheese platter.


                                                         "Enjoy"

Brazil Coconut & Banana Bread

Brazil  Coconut & Banana Bread


A delicious Brazil Nut Bananarama !



Shopping List:

100 ml sunflower oil
140 gr caster sugar
140 gr plain flour
140 ge Brazil nuts, roughly chopped ( Para Noten)
50 gr dessicated coconut
15 gr butter (the rest of the pack is for serving....)
2 large very ripe bananas
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white, all free range
75 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (backing)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon



Preheat your oven to 180C Grease or spray and line a loaf tin.

For the topping:
In a small bowl: Stir together 2 tablespoons each of: the sugar, flour, nuts and coconut. Add the
15 gr butter and rub together to sticky crumbs. Set aside.

Mash the bananas in one of your large bowls and stir in the sunflower oil, egg and milk.  In a seperate large bowl, mix HALF of the remaining sugar, followed by the rest of the flour, nuts and coconut, then the baking powder and cinnamon.

In a clean bowl whisk the egg white to stiff peaks, add the final bit of sugar and whisk again until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Stir the banana mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients, then very lightly fold in the egg white mixture. Pour this mixture into your prepared tin and then sprinkle over the crumb mixture from your small bowl.

Bake the banana bread in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until your cake skewer comes out clean. As with everything cover with alufoil if the cake gets too dark. Cool the bread in the tin, then turn out to cool further on your wire rack.
Like the Orange drizzle cake, slice thick slices. You can serve it with butter or clotted cream.

                                                               "Enjoy"

Eton Mess Traybake

Eton Mess Traybake



Shopping List:

175 gr butter, to be melted
5 tablespoons double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

225 gr plain flour
100 gr ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt

200 gr golden caster sugar
5 large eggs, free rang

400 gr strawberries, half  finely sliced half chopped roughly
4 meringue nests which is about 50 gr. Gently roughly broken up.
Icing sugar to sprinkle (optional)


Grease or spray and line your traybake tin or a roasting tin. Preheat your oven to 160C.
Get a saucepan and melt the butter, take it off the heat and stir in the cream and the vanilla.

Seperately, in one of your other bowls,  mix the flour, almonds, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt and set aside.

Put the caster sugar and the eggs into one of your large bowls and whisk with your electric handmixer until it is very thick and nicely foamy. This will take about 5 minutes.
Pour in the butter mix, whisk for a moment and add the flour mix and whisk for a moment more until even. Stir in the chopped strawberries and pour the mixture into your prepared traybake tin or roasting tin. Level the top evenly.

Scatter the sliced strawberries and the meringue  over the cake and bake it in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until golden and your cake skewer comes out clean. Let it all cool in the tin for about 20 minutes and then transfer it to your wire rack, do this by turning it upside down, first on one then on the other of your wire racks. Don't forget to take the paper off!

Before you serve the cake dust it with a little icing suagar and you can also serve whipped double cream with it.

                                                                   "Enjoy"

Dutch Syrup-Wafer Cupcakes (Stroopwafel)

Dutch Syrup-Wafer Cupcakes
(Stroopwafel)



12 cupcakes ( 13-14)





Shopping List:

125 gr butter, softened
125 gr light brown soft sugar
2 eggs free range
150 gr self-raising flour
1 or 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
a few bits of the cutout leftovers from cutting the hearts or flowers out of the biscuits.

If you can find it: Special Dutch Speculaas kruiden.
200 gr small stroopwafels
small cutters, heart or flower shape



For the basic butter cream:
75 gr butter softened
225 gr icing sugar
30-50 gr (depends how strong you want it)
syrup or molasses) ( i used thick Zeeuwse Boerin Keuken (kitchen) Stroop)



Preheat the oven to 180C. Put your cases in your muffin tin.
Beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. beat in the eggs, one @ the time. Mix in the flour and the rest of the ingredients.

Divide the mixture into your cases in the prepared tin with an icecream scooper.  Bake in your prepared oven for about 15-20 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Leave to cool on your wire rack.

For the topping:
Mix all the ingredients together and spread over the cool cupcakes. Decorate as you like.
let it cool even more to harden the buttercream. Sprinkle with some left over cuttings from the biscuits, if you like.

                                                           "Enjoy"

Coconut Fudge Butter Brownies

Coconut Fudge Butter Brownies



Shopping List:

100 gr cocoa powder
250 gr butter
500 gr golden caster
4 eggs, free range, beaten
100 gr self-raising flour
100 gr dessicated coconut
Icing sugar, if you want to powder some over the brownies


Preheat your oven to 180C. Spray and or only line your brownie tin with baking paper. Put the butter, sugar and the cocoa powder in a large saucepan and melt it all, stirring it gently. When the cocoa/butter mixture is melted, cool it slightly and then add the beaten eggs, not all @ once though. Then you can add the flour and the dessicated coconut. Mix thoroughly but gently.

Pour this mixture into your prepared brownie tin and bake it in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Let it all cool down in the tin. Take your wire rack to tip the tin upside down and  gently take the paper off. Let it cool some more. Turn the tin upside down onto your cutting board to cut the brownie into little ones and put these onto your wire rack to cool absolutely completely.

Put them in a pretty box with a pretty ribbon and give them as a gift. Maybe powder it with sugar first or some sprinkles of coconut as an extra.


                                                              "Enjoy"

Muscovado Chocolate Loaf

Muscovado Chocolate Loaf


Shopping List:

200 gr butter, unsalted
100 gr dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa solids
           broken into pieces
150 gr natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, free range
250 gr self-raising flour
175 gr dark muscovado sugar (dark brown)
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


For the topping:

100 ml double cream
1 tablespoon butter
100 gr dark chocolate, chopped into pretty pieces


Preheat your oven to 190C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin and use the parchment / paper tab strategy. Leave the paper hanging over the tin.

Put the butter and the chocolate in your large saucepan and heat very gently until it has melted, but stir it now and again. Let it cool for about 5 minutes and then you can whisk in the yoghurt and the vanilla. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt.

Then you mix the flour, sugar and the bicarbonate of soda  in your large bowl, making sure that the dark muscovado sugar has no lumps. Stir this mixture into the chocolate mix in your saucepan. Pour into your preprared tin and bake this in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until your cake skewer comes out clean. It is going to look huge, but that is the idea.
 Let the cake cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Then turn it out and let it cool completely on your wire rack.

When your cake is completely cool you can start with the topping: Put the cream into your small suacepan and bring to the boil. Then add the butter and half of the choped up chocolate. Take the pan off the heat and leave everything to melt. Stir until glossy and spoon over the cake.
Then you can sprinkle the rest of the chocolate over the cake.



                                                                "Enjoy"

Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Torte

Old Fashioned Dutch Apple Torte

A recipe stolen from my Mother: Hollandsche Appeltaart




Shopping List:

You will need a round loose bottomed tin or springform 24 cm
clingfilm
rolling pin
baking paper/parchment
an apple corer
spray or butter to prepare your tin.

For the bottom:
200 gr Butter from the fridge ( You can also use Margerine)
300 gr plain flour plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 egg yolk and 1 beaten egg for glazing, free range


For the filling:

75 gr sultanas
1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
25 gr walnuts
6 cooking apples (Bramley/Goudreinet)
15 gr light soft brown sugar
10 gr or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
15 gr fine breadcrumbs from a pack


Cut the butter or Margarine into small pieces.  Sieve the flour with a pinch of salt over a big bowl. Add the butter or Marg, sugar and the egg yolk. Mix it all quickly with a handmixer or wooden spoon and form a compact doughball with your hands. Wrap it up in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the sultanas in some water, make sure they are under water and add  1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla sugar to it. Soak for about 10 minutes. Dry them. Chop the walnuts roughly.

In the mean time, preheat your oven to 175 C.  Spray or grease and line the bottom of your 24 cm tin.

Peel, core and cut the apples into not too thin half moons. Mix them in a bowl with the brown sugar, cinnamon, sultanas and walnuts.

Lightly put some flour on your worksurface and rol 2/3 of the dough to a nice round of about 30cm. Lay this gently into your prepared springform. ( Use your rolling pin to carry it) If there are little tears in the dough, just press it nicely together. Sprinkle the fine breadcrumbs on the bottom and fill it all up with the apple mixture. Gently level it out.

Roll out the rest of the dough to a long strip and cut this into ca. 1 cm strips, using your rolling pin as a ruler and a sharp knife to cut them out.  Lay them diagonally over the applemixture, turn the tin half way and lay some more strips down. Push the ends gently but firmly into the edge.

Lay a long strip of dough around the edge if you want and press this firmly into the edge as well.
If perhaps you have a little dough lying on your worksurface, find a little shaped cutter, cut the dough out and put this in the middle of your torte.

Brush the Apple Torte with the beaten egg for glazing if you like.

Bake the cake in your preheated oven for 45-50minutes. Leave it for 10-15minutes and then remove the outside of the springform. Cut the cake, warm or cold, into 12 wedges.
Serve with whipped cream.



                                                    "Eet Smakelijk"


                                                          "Enjoy"

Ladies Circle Cherry Crumble

Ladies Circle Cherry Crumble


Shopping List:

350 gr  fresh or frozen cherries (defrosted and dried)

140 gr self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50 gr caster sugar
1 egg, free range
4 tablespoons milk ( not skinny)
85 gr melted butter


Icing sugar, or fine powdered sugar for dusting

For the topping:

25 gr plain flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
25 gr caster sugar
25 gr butter, sliced @ room temperature

Remove the stalks and stones from the cherries. Defrost the frozen cherries and dry them properly on paper/kitchen towel.

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line a round 20 cm tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon and caster sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the egg, milk and melted butter. Mix it all together thoroughly either with a wooden spoon or your electric mixer until it is smooth and not runny. Pour it into your prepared tin and even it out slightly.

Scatter the cherries over this mixture and gently press them in a little.

Topping wise: Put all the ingredients into a bowl and rub the butter with your fingers until you get a crumble mixture. Scatter this  topping over the cherries.

Bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until your skewer comes out clean. Leave it in the tin to cool for 5-10 minuutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove the cake from the tin and transfer it gently up side down onto your wire rack to remove the paper, until it has cooled completely. But not if you want to serve it warm. Then turn it onto a serving plate.

Dust with icing sugar for a nice presentation and serve warm or cold with whipped, clotted or icecream.
An excellent finish to a lovely dinner party served with a glass of red wine. Or an afternoon treat for a ladies circle meeting. Or make it a day before a picnic.


                                                              "Enjoy"

Kim's Triple Chocolate Biscuits

Kim's Triple Chocolate Biscuits



Shopping List:
100 gr soft brown sugar
100 gr caster sugar
100 gr butter, softened
1 egg, free range
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225 plain flour

140 gr milk chocolate, melted
85 gr white chocolate, chunkly chopped
85 gr plain chocolate, chunkly chopped


Preheat your oven to 200C. Line 1 to 2 baking trays with paper. Mix the sugars and the butter together and then add the egg, vanilla, flour and half of the melted milk chocolate and mix together.
Stir in the white and the plain chocolate chunks ( or if you have found them, chips). Then you use an ice cream scooper or rounded soup spoon to scoop the balls onto the tray.

Bake the biscuits in batches for 8-9 minutes until they are pale, soft to the touch and a little light brown around the edges.
They will harden up as they cool. Carefully put them on your wire rack and drizzle them with the remaining melted chocolate.


The dough and the biscuits can be frozen.



                                                                "Enjoy"

Cantucinni & Sultana Cheesecake

Cantucinni & Sultana Cheesecake


                                                                            This cake can be made 2 days ahead !



Shopping List:

100 gr sultanas
3 tablespoons Disaronno liqueur (optional)
50 gr butter, softened
6 digestive biscuits, crushed
8 cantucinni biscuits, crushed
600 gr full fat cream cheese ( Mascarpone or Philadelphia)
3 eggs, free range
170 gr sour cream
3 tablespoons (about 36 gr) flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
175 gr soft light brown sugar
Icing sugar to serve
Roughly broken cantucinni biscuits to serve


Put the sultanas in a bowl or a cup and let them soak in Disaronno for about 1 hour. ( Or use a little almondextract :   1/2 teaspoon with 3 tablespoons of water, instead)

Preheat your oven to 180C. and lightly grease or spray your 23 cm loose-bottomed round cake tin or springform. Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat and stir in both the biscuits crumbs.
Mix it well and then tip it into the base of your tin and push down with the back of a tablespoon to create a nice layer. Bake this in your preheated oven for about 5 minutes and allow to cool.

In the mean time, beat the cheese and the eggs, soured cream, flour, vanilla extract and the caster sugar  thoroughly together. Until nice and smooth. Stir in the sultanas with the Disaronno. If you have used water, drain them first. Pour the mixture into your prepared base and bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes until set. It may have a little bit of a dooble in the middle of the cake. Let it cool in the tin.

Serving: Dust with icing sugar and top with some broken cantucinni biscuits and with a glass of chilled Disaronno or a Dry sherry.


An excellent finish to a nice dinner party Italian Style.


                                                             "Enjoy"

April's Apple, Pear and Walnut crumble

April's Apple, Pear and Walnut Crumble



Shopping List:
500 gr. cooking apples, all peeled and roughly cut
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1/2 juice of that lemon
2 tablespoons light soft brown sugar
500 gr pears, peeled and roughly cut

For the crumble topping:
100 gr walnuts
175 gr of flour (any)
85 gr butter
85 gr caster or soft white sugar


Preheat your oven to 190C. Put the apples, lemon zest and the sugar in your saucepan. Add the lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the pears and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
Just until the fruits are beginning to soften. Spoon everything from your saucepan into a 1.7 litre pudding dish or something that fits the bill and even it out.

Now the crumble: Chop half of the walnuts in your food processor or blitzer until it looks like ground almonds. Add the flour, butter and sugar and continue to blitz to a coarse or fine crumble mix, whatever you prefer. I prefer to do it with my hands, well the last bit. I can feel just how the crumble should be.

Then roughly break the remaining walnuts with your hands if you are able and stir this with the crumble mixture. Scatter the crumble mix evenly over the fruits in your dish and bake them in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and your kitchen smells of warm apples.

You can serve it warm with custard or cream, but cold is just as nice.
Excellent idea for a dessert for a dinner party at the kitchen table with some home made wine, or a mug of coffee with whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with crumbled walnuts.



                                                               "Enjoy"

Yorkshire Pink "Champagne" Rhubarb Cheesecake

Yorkshire Pink "Champagne" Rhubarb Cheesecake


From the Great British Bake Off Calender April 2013

As you can see i used strawberries instead of rhubarb as  a) we don't like rhubarb and  b) Rhubarb is nowhere to be found  in  supermarkets The Netherlands..........
Let's pretend i used Rhubarb.... Oh and this is an overnighter, and make sure you don't need the oven for anything else.

Shopping List:

For the base:
100 gr digestive biscuits, crushed
50 gr melted unsalted butter

For the filling:
900 gr cream cheese ( not low-fat)
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gr caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs, beaten
450 ml sour cream

For the topping:
275 gr young pink rhubarb
3 tablespoons strawberry jam or conserve


 A 22-23 cm springform/clip tin, greased or spray not lined and a baking tray.

Preheat your oven to 150C. To make the base, mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, tip it in your prepared tin, then press down with the back of a spoon to make an even layer. Chill while making the filling.

Put the cream cheese, grated lemon and orange zests, vanilla and sugar into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a food mixer. Beat at a low to medium speed with an electric whisk or the mixer until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl now and then. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the sour cream. When thoroughly combined, pour the filling into the the tin, set on the baking tray.
Carefully transfer to the oven ( the tin will be almost full) and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until just firm. The mixture will puff up, then sink on cooling ( it nearly always cracks too, but the topping disguises this). Turn off the oven but don't open the oven door, and leave the cheesecaje to cool slowly for 1 and a 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and, when completely cold, cover and chill overnight.

The topping can be baked alongside the cheesecake. Rinse the rhubarb, trim off the ends and cut on the diagonal into 2 to 3 cm lenghts. Spread the jam over the base of a large ovenproof baking dish and arrange the rhubarb on top.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. When ready to finish the cheesecake, remove the rhubarb from its liquid, draining well. Spoon the rhubarb cooking juices into a small pan and simmer over a low heat for a few minutes until syrupy. Unclip the tin and set the cheescake on a serving plate. Arrange the fruit on top, and brush generously with hot syrup.
Chill until ready to serve.


                                                              "Enjoy"
                                                  

Frog Cakes from South Australia

Frog Cakes from South Australia



I have made easier cakes. What a kerfuffle!!!

They are very very sweet !!!

Shopping List:

For the Genoise sponge:

150 gr Cake flour
125 gr cornstarch
10 eggs, free range
340 gr white sugar, fine
150 gr butter, melted but cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To put it together:

4 tablespoons of raspberry glaze or jam
4.5 cups vanilla butter cream

or make the butter cream yourself:
75 gr butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225 gr sifted icing sugar
green fondant

Or to assemble another way:

1 1/4 cup raspberry glaze
2 cups vanilla icing
green or pink food colouring
4.5 cups vanilla buttercream
2 tablespoons black icing or small round candies




Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line the bottom of an 18 cm square cake tin.

For the sponge:
Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
Mix the eggs with the melted butter, the vanilla extract and gently mix it with the dry ingredients until well blended. To avoid egg shell in the mixture, break them up in a seperate bowl and pick out egg shell with an egg shell if need be.

Pour this mixture into your prepared tin, scrape the bowl with your silicon spatula and level it all in the tin. Don't forget to put a oventray underneath as it leaks a little.
Bake in your preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes until your skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out, gently removing the baking paper from the bottom and leave to cool completely on your wire rack.
You can use two wire racks to turn the cake upside down to take the paper off.
Make sure the cake is cooled down enough for it to be able to slice it in half horizontally with a breadknife and spread the raspberry glaze on the two sides before sandwiching it back together.

Cut the cake into 5 cm squares.

Use an ice cream scooper to put a ball of buttercream on top. Lay green fondant over it and use chocolate icing or sweeties as eyes.


To assemble the other way:
Divide the vanilla icing in half. Add green foor colouring to one batc and if you are also using pink, use that for the other. The icing should be of a consistency that you can pour it and you can use warm water to thin it if need be. Set the cakes on wire racks and put either paper towel or a tray with paper towel in it, undrneathe your wire racks. Use a small ice cream scooper to put a dome shaped dollo of buttercream on each little cake. Pour the icing over the cakes to coat them completely. Set aside.  Pour a second coating on after 30 minutes. Set aside to dry completely. Warm up a knife in boiling water, dry it and use it to slice through the icing to shape a frogs mouth. Make sure to reveal a little of the butter cream. You can also use writing icing to make the eyes. ( the ones that come in little tubes) Ofcourse you can use any colour to make your frogs.




                                                                  "Enjoy"

Mantecadas from Spain

Mantecadas from Spain


We prefer proper Scones with butter, but if you like lard....


Shopping List for about 25 Mantecadas:

375 gr plain flour
200 gr lard
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
the juice of 1/2  a lemon
2 tablespoons sambuca or 1 teaspoon anise extract
2 eggs, free range
a bowl of sugar to dip them in straight out of the oven


Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl and mix. Make a little hole in the center of the flour mix. Whisk the eggs in a seperate bowl for 1 minute until light and add the lard (room temperature) sugar, lemon juice, the eggs and the sambuca in the flour mix.

Mix it well with your hands and form a ball. Then cover it with clingfilm and leave it to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime preheat your oven to 150C.  Roll out the dough on your worksurface covered with a little flour and extra to put some on your rolling pin. Cut out the cookie shape with a 5-6cm fluted cookie cutter.

Lay them on your oventray lined with baking paper and bake them in your preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes until slightly brown. Whilst warm put them in a bowl of sugar.
let them cool completely on your wire rack.

I have to say it is a required taste and maybe you need to wash them down with sambuca.....Oh well.


                                                                "Enjoy"

Sansa's Lemon Cakes ( Magdalenas)

Sansa's Lemon Cakes                                            (Magdalenas) (Spanish Sweet Cakes)



Game of Thrones'  Sansa likes her lemon cakes very much.  Here is the recipe:


Shopping List:

4 eggs, free range
220 gr granulated sugar
160 gr butter, melted
200 gr plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
zest of 1 fresh, clean lemon
1 tablespoon milk



Preheat your oven to 180C.  Put cupcake cases in your muffin tins, about 18.
Take 1/4 of the 220 gr sugar and set aside.

Beat the eggs with the rest of the sugar in a medium bowl until light and airy.
Slowly pour in the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Stir the lemon zest and the milk into  the mixture.

Put the flour in a seperate bowl adding the baking powder and stir well.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and again mix well.

Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling each cupcase half full. With a teaspoon you can divide the reserved sugar on top of the batter.

Bake your lemon magdalenas in your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and your skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and leave them to cool completely on your wire rack.


                                                            "Enjoy"

Lady Baltimore Cake from South Carolina

Lady Baltimore Cake



This is s recipe by Mrs. Mayberry from Charleston, South Carolina



Shopping List:
A Candy thermometer

For the cake:

110 gr butter, softened
300 gr soft white sugar
2 large eggs, free range, seperated
220 gr cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
230 ml milk

For filling nr. 1:

100 gr sugar
54 gr ground walnuts
60 ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

For filling nr. 2 and for putting the cake together:

400 gr sugar
125 ml water
2 large egg whites, beaten until it peaks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
150 gr raisins, chopped
100 gr walnuts, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat your oven to 190C. Spray or grease and line two 20 cm round tins or springfroms.
Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Seperately: Beat the egg yolks until light, then beat them into the butter mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, ending with the flour mixture. In a clean bowl: beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold the whites into the batter.

Divide the batter into your prepared tins and bake them into your preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Use your caketester to see if it comes out clean. Take them out of the oven and let them cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Turn them out onto your wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling you can make the fillings.

For filling nr: 1 : Put the sugar, walnuts and water in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat without stirring to: very soft ball stage on your candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and let cool just a little. Stir in the extracts and beat until slightly thickened.
Spread Filling nr. 1 over the 2 cake layers.

For filling nr. 2 :  Dissolve the sugar in the water in the heavy saucepan. Don't stir at this point. Bring to a boil over a medium heat. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Then you remover the lid and boil until the mixture HOT! reaches the firm ball stage on your sugar thermometer.

Now slowly! pour this hot syrup into your beaten egg whites whilst beating all the time and continue doing so until it has cooled down a little. If you pour it in too fast you will end up with cooked eggs nasties!
Then you quickly add the extracts, raisins, nuts, and the lemon juice.

Spread a little of the filling 2 over the filling nr. 1 on each of your cake layers, then you put one layer on top of the other. Pour all of the filling nr 2 over the assembled cake and cover the sides nicely with you palette knife. You can decorate with figs if you want to, but i did not want to wander from the original recipe as it is.


                                                           "Enjoy"

Lamingtons from Australia

Delicious Chocolate-Coconut Lamingtons                           It's an overnighter!




Shopping List:

For the cake:

125 gr butter, softened
150 gr soft white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, free range
250 gr plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt ( half of 1/4 teaspoon)
120 ml milk



Coating:

450 gr icing sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon butter (14-15 gr.) melted
120 ml milk
200 gr dessicated coconut






Preheat your oven to 190C. Grease or spray a square tin (20x30cm) but do not line.
Powder it with flour if you want.

Sieve the flour, bakingpowder and salt over a bowl, mix and set aside.

Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and stir all the time.
Add the flour mixture and the milk first the one and then the other and again and mix.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes in your preheated oven until golden and the caketester comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then turn out upside down on your wire rack and leave it to cool completely. Leave the cake for a night so as it can firm up before you put on the coating.


The next day:

For the coating you mix the icing sugar and the cocoa in a big bowl. Heat the milk and add the butter. Let the butter melt into the milk, mix well and pour the milk into the sugar mixture.
Mix very well until the coating is liquid but firm.

Cut the cake in squares, 24 or less. Put the dessicated coconut in a shallow plate or tray.
Prick a fork into a little cake, dip it in the chocolate coating and then roll it through the coconut.
Put the little cake on a wire rack for it to dry. Repeat this procedure until all the cakes are done. Pour some warm milk into the chocolate coating if it dries out or gets to sticky.

Tip: The coating will drip on your work surface, so maybe it's an idea to put some papertowel or baking paper underneath your wire rack to catch the drips.



                                                               "Enjoy"

Kladdkaka from Sweden

Kladdkaka




A delicious big brownie chocolate cake from Sweden !



Shopping List:

200 gr butter, softened
200 gr dark chocolate, preferably with 70% cocoa solids
4 eggs, free range
200 gr fine white sugar
250 gr self-raising flour


Preheat your oven to 200C. Spray or grease but not line your 23-24 cm round springform tin.

Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat. Crack the chocolate into little pieces and add them to the melting butter whilst stirring.
Beat the eggs and the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix the chocolate-butter mixture into it and gently fold the flour through it.  Pour into your prepared tin.

Bake the cake in your preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The cake should be a little soft in the middle when you take it out of your oven.

Leave it in the tin for about 5 minutes before turning it out and moving it onto a serving plate.

Serve it with fresh - frozen red fruits, cream and a nice hot cup of coffee.


                                                          "Enjoy"